These days, a good set of walkie talkies—with a long-range to communicate over—is affordable for everyone. You could be buying them for the kids to enjoy themselves when recreating their favorite action movies. Or, perhaps you need them for family trips away, like camping, where you can’t depend on digital reception.
Whichever way you plan to use them, the best long-range walkie talkies are available to suit your needs. With our helpful review, you should feel comfortable with what to look for to find the right ones. So, let’s take a look at what’s on offer.
Best Long Range Walkie Talkie Comparison Chart
Product | Maximum Range | Frequency | ||
Midland GXT1000VP4 (2 Pack) | 36 mile | 462.550-467.7125 MHz | ||
COBRA RX680 (2 Pack) | 38 mile | 462.550-467.7125 MHz | ||
DEWALT DXFRS300 (2 Pack) | 25 mile | 462.5625-462.7250 MHz | ||
Qniglo Q188 (2 Pack) | 10 mile | 462-467 Mhz | ||
Moico Long Range Walkie Talkie (2 Pack) | 5 mile | 462-467 MHz | ||
Arcshell AR-5 (4 Pack) | 5 mile | 400-470Mhz | ||
Arcshell AR-6 (6 Pack) | 5 mile | 400-470Mhz |
The Best Long Distance Walkie Talkie Reviews 2022
1. Midland GXT1000VP4 36 Miles Walkie Talkie – 2 Pack
These two-way walkie talkies offer up to 36 miles of range, with 142 privacy codes and weather protection features. They come with 2 rechargeable battery packs, mic headsets and belt clips.
These are a very sturdy, highly durable and good-looking pair of walkie talkies with some decent features. They’re pretty lightweight too so fit nicely in any pocket.
They seem like they could be very good for outdoor use, especially with the NOAA weather scan and alert feature.
When we tried them outdoors, we seemed to get a good, clear reception. The quality of the sound was very strong. This was the case when we used them indoors too.
Probably the best feature on these is the transmission range. We took these out across some fields and still had a great range up to 2 miles apart. We weren’t able to test if it can reach up to the 30 miles it states. This could be very good for communication between vehicles.
We did sometimes find that transmission to the receiver was prone to being a little noisy occasionally. This was dependent on the distance apart though.
We also found the charge time was quite long, on average 12 hours. As the battery gets charged with the radio, it also means you can’t use them in between charges.
These are well-manufactured, sturdy walkie talkies designed for outdoor use. They’re lightweight and have great NOAA weather scan features. The sound is good and clear, and so is the transmission range. It could be a good option for infrequent use outdoors.
Midland GXT1000VP4 Operation Manual
Pros
- Sturdy, durable and good looking
- Lightweight with outdoor features
- Excellent transmission quality and range
- Great quality sound indoors and outdoors
- NOAA weather alerts are great
Cons
- Sometimes noisy
- Battery charging for 12 hours without usage means probably infrequent use
2. COBRA RX680 Waterproof Walkie Talkie for Long Distance – 2 Pack
This set of long-range walkie talkies have an impressive range of 38 miles and feature 2662 channel combinations. They’re weather-proof, resistant to water and dust, and have an in-built NOAA radio receiver and emergency alert. There are many other features to this set which we’ll get into soon.
First off, what we noticed the most in this set was the quality of the build. These things feel very well put together. They’re rugged, durable, suitable for most weather types and have all the knobs and buttons in the right places.
They also have stacks of features that could make it suitable for all-family use. There’s a voice-activated transmission feature which is awesome. Your voice can easily be picked up without the need for buttons. It also features a vibration alert and flashlight function.
One of the best features is the NOAA weather radio that’s in-built. There are also 10 weather alert channels to try to pick up. So, these might be really nice for families to use on camping or hiking trips, or for outdoor-types who need strong resistance to weather.
Also, we found the quality of transmission between devices to be excellent. Voices came through loud and clear.
One thing we did notice was their claim to have 18 hours of long-term battery use. We found this wasn’t the case. They lasted around 5 hours before needing another charge.
They may have also overstated the range that’s available. We couldn’t get further than 5 miles before it cut out.
Overall, these a very well made, rugged, weather-appropriate walkie-talkies that have many nice features. Due to the excellent in-built weather radio and water-resistant, they could be very suitable for all the family to use when outdoors. These could be perfect for trips away or in a field with few obstructions.
Pros
- High-quality build with a rugged, durable design
- Very many nice features including voice activation
- Great weather features including in-built NOAA radio
- Voice transmission very strong
- Flashlight included
Cons
- Seemed unlikely to get the 38-mile range without using a different frequency
- Battery life is fine, but we couldn’t get the 18-hours straight worth of use
3. Moico Best Long Range Walkie Talkie for Adults – 2 Pack
Designed for use in survival biking, hiking and camping, MOICO walkie talkies are stylish and practical. They have 22 GMRS/FRS channels with 99 sets of CTCSS tones.
They support up to 5 miles of communication range and are built for difficult weather conditions. To help block other conversations, they also have a continuous tone-coded squelch system.
When you removed them from the box, these walkie-talkies appear to be very durable, nice quality, lightweight and easy to use. They’re colored orange, with an easy to use screen and buttons that caused no problems at all.
Battery power is simple, just get your hands on some, insert them and you’re good to go. Also, the power in the batteries held up really well. We had no problems at all with usage.
When using this set outdoors, we found the sound quality was excellent. They’re clear, loud and easy to communicate with. The range of 5 miles seems to hold up well when we used them.
It’s great that they hold to the advertised range. There is a built-in LED flashlight that’s quite powerful. This was certainly handy to have as it started to become darker.
Indoors they’re also really handy to have indoors and have a design and look that’s suitable for children and adults. We loved the voice activation feature too.
Although the sound quality was good if we had one negative thing to say it would be that the sound is a little too loud.
Also, it may be a better feature to include rechargeable batteries or a charging unit.
Overall, these are really solid, durable, attractive walkie-talkies that just need a set of AA batteries to get going. They have some really good features for outdoor use, but would work well for all the family indoors, too.
Pros
- Good battery power that held up well
- Very good sound and communication range to 5 miles
- Good features for outdoors but useful indoors too
- Attractive, easy-to-use, lightweight and durable
- LED flashlight and voice activation are great features
Cons
- Seemed a little loud at times
- No rechargeable battery packs
4. DEWALT DXFRS300 Walkie Talkie for Long Distance – 2 Pack
The Dewalt DXFRS300 is a heavy-duty set of walkie talkies that have been designed for business use. They provide a good range of up to 250,000 sq. ft or the equivalent of 20 floors. They’re shock-resistant and can withstand a 2-meter drop. Including a VOX voice-activated transmission to free hands feature, they use UHF/FM bands and have an LCD display.
This set of walkie talkies are really solid and rugged looking. You could drop these a few times, from small heights, and they’d easily bounce bank. They’re certainly heavy duty! They could also be great to take on all-weather trips. Due to their weather-resistant feature, they could easily get wet, be dropped in mud or get stomped on and still be fine.
When we tested them out, we got up to a range of around 3-miles apart with a few obstructions in the way. The sound came through pretty well up to that point.
Also, battery life is really very good and lasted out for a full 24 hours.
After we moved further than 3 miles apart, the sound cut out a few times and picked up some static. The sound in general seemed a little less reliable than other products we’ve seen.
They’re not the cheapest available to buy, which is understandable when they’ve been designed for business use.
Overall, these are a solid set that are certainly worth considering if you could be looking for a rugged and resistant set of walkie talkies. These are designed for professional use, but could be great for muddy camping trips, festivals or even mountain hiking. Durability, shock-resistant and battery life are really strong features!
DEWALT DXFRS300 Operation Manual
Pros
- Designed for outdoors business purposes
- Could be great for all-weather trips
- Good range of up to 3 miles
- Solid, rugged, durable and shock-resistant
- Strong battery life
Cons
- Some noise and reception disruption at longer range
- Not overly-priced, but not the cheapest available
5. Arcshell AR-5 Long Range Walkie Talkie – 4 Pack
Small enough to fit easily in your hand, these solid long-range walkie talkies have a 2- wattage power output and UHF 400-470 frequency range. They also come with rechargeable Li-ion batteries and a charging dock. As a very affordable and water-resistant set, they’re built to be used in a variety of ways.
When we first saw the radios, they seemed to be easy to assemble and sturdily-built. They’re simple radios that aren’t too big or bulky and could potentially be suitable for both adults and children to use.
We took this out to test the range and for an inexpensive set, they perform very well in both open and obstructed settings. We got them out to 3 miles and didn’t experience too many problems. Along with the range, the clarity of audio also performs very well. Again, for such a low-price set, the sound quality wasn’t at all compromised.
The battery life is also very strong and managed to last a full day. As they’re rechargeable, they seem to last a long time between charges.
What we love the most about these is that they’re excellent all-rounders. That is, they’re fit for use at home, with kids and adults or the whole family. With the quality of sound and range, they can also be used outdoors pretty well.
After a while, the manufacturing of the handsets seemed a little flimsy. Like they may not be built to last in the same way as the others.
We did also find that when the background noise levels were higher, we had trouble hearing the other person. In general, though, the reception is clear.
These are inexpensive, excellent all-round walkie-talkies that are great value for money. There are no particularly outstanding features, but for the price that’s OK. They sound good, the range is good and they’re really easy to use.
Pros
- Affordable and well-made product
- Not too bulky
- Battery life is very good
- Good range of communication
- Versatile to adults, children, home or outdoors
Cons
- The price fits the quality of the product, but may not last knocks or drops
- Difficult to communicate with a lot of background noise
6. Arcshell AR-6 Long Range Walkie Talkie with Earpiece – 6 Pack
These handheld Arcshell long-range walkie talkies use single band, UHF frequencies to penetrate wood, steel and concrete. They’re small enough to fit in your hand and have a blue outer casing.
These are very affordable walkie talkies that look good and have nice features. They seem well made and are lightweight in the hand. They’re easy to take with you wherever you go, and not too heavy or over-sized. You just need to remove the antennas when traveling.
A great feature of these is that they come pre-programmed with 16 channels. So that saved us from having to tune into any ourselves. One of the best qualities of these handhelds is sound quality, which is very decent. When we used them, the transmission didn’t have any trouble making it through the various obstacles that were around us.
Another thing we also really liked about these is that they contain lithium-ion batteries that can easily be rechargeable. We found that the battery life was pretty good. The power lasted around 3 days of fairly regular use.
An issue we found was that they didn’t seem to have the longest range available. At around 2 miles we lost connection completely. So, they could be better for the home or at a smaller gathering/function.
We also found that the buttons were sometimes sticky and stiff. It was hard times to press down on them at times. There is a VOX voice-activation feature though, which could go some way to helping overcome this.
Overall, these are inexpensive walkie-talkies that have very good sound and transmission. They’re small and lightweight so they can be easily taken to small gatherings or trips that need a shorter range. They have a simple set up and rechargeable batteries that last a long time.
Pros
- Affordable, well made and nice-looking
- Lightweight for traveling
- Easy setup and usage
- Great quality sound
- Battery life is good and the chargeable feature is great for the price
Cons
- May not have a long enough range for things like hiking
- Buttons seemed a little sticky at times.
7. Qniglo Long Range Walkie Talkie – 2 Pack
These are adult walkie talkies that can also be used by children. They have a sleek design, have a rechargeable Li-ion battery with a USB charger and feature 22 channels. They also claim to have a long-range transmission ability of up to 10 miles.
This set of walkie-talkies look great. They have a really nice and fairly unique design and look like they’ve been made to a high-quality standard.
Onto the best feature – the signal. If you’re using these within fairly close proximity the signal and sound came across very clearly. We were impressed with this performance and the clarity of the sound we were able to get.
With a USB port, it makes charging them really easy. The batteries lasted a good while after charging and daily use.
The size of these is also a good feature. They’re quite small and are lightweight enough to carry around just about anywhere. Because they can be used by the whole family, they could be great for camping trips or smaller events. They also work well around the house.
A less positive feature is the quality of the plastic used to make them. Compared to others we’ve looked at, these are not the most sturdy or durable. Hence, you may not want to take them on bigger outdoor adventures.
The range of 10 miles may also be slightly overstated. We tried these out in a large field with no obstructions and the sound got very patchy quickly. Up to a point, the sound and signal worked great.
Overall, these are nicely made, attractive-looking handheld walkie talkies. They have a great signal and sound within closer proximities. The USB port and rechargeable batteries are a great feature too. They’re small and light enough to use on a family camping trip or good or around the home.
Pros
- Look great
- Signal and sound are clear within closer proximities
- USB port rechargeable batteries is a great feature
- Small and lightweight
- Could be good to use around the home or camping
Cons
- Plastic seems less durable than other models
- May not be effective for long-range conversations
What to Consider When Buying a Long Range Walkie Talkie?
Finding the right set of long-range walkie talkies can be difficult. Because they don’t have the power needed to enable communication over longer ranges, it’s hard to guarantee performance.
So, it’s important that your decision is made with as much information as possible. Firstly, think about how you want to use them. Maybe it will include some of the below?
- Camping trip
- Hiking adventure
- Communication between off-road vehicles
- For your kids to use as they run around your backyard
- Communication with loved ones such as relatives living nearby
- For professional settings such as festivals, film sets or for security requirements
Whatever the reasons are that you need a set of walkie talkies, it’s important to keep their purpose at the front of your mind when you buy. You want to ensure the range is long enough. Also, you don’t want to miss out on some essential features. Research is key, which is why we’ve outlined some questions below on what you should be asking yourself:
Is the range long enough?
You want to ensure it offers a long-range. However, there are many models that make claims to long-range but can’t guarantee it. The range can be affected by topography, where the surrounding features outside may obstruct your signal.
If the manufacturer states a 30-mile range, keep in mind that this may be possible to reach. However, only if the conditions are perfect.
So how will you know if the range really matches the seller’s claims? You’ll need to try it out. Or you could search for reviews that could give you a good sense of whether it could work for your purposes.
Walkie Talkies | Max Range |
36 miles | |
38 miles | |
25 miles | |
10 miles | |
5 miles | |
5 miles | |
5 miles |
Are there enough channels?
Having a good number of channels to play around with may help to dodge interference. If you only have a few, you may limit what you can do. Bear in mind that some of the channels may include privacy channels. These are only really necessary in a professional setting, or where you may need to avoid interference from other channels.
Many phone sets will include NOAA channels (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). Sometimes, you’ll have as many as ten. You may not need so many, but keep in mind the need for extra options.
Walkie Talkies | Channels |
124 channel (10 NOAA) | |
60 channels (10 NOAA) | |
22 preset channels | |
22 channels | |
22 channels | |
16 channels | |
16 channels |
What kind of power source does it take?
When you’re somewhere far from home, you’ll want your walkie-talkies to last. Do you want a rechargeable battery pack that lets you recharge overnight? Or do you want the option to take batteries so you can top up when needed? In most cases, it’s wise to have options for both.
Also, check how long the power will last. If it’s only good for a few hours, do you really want to take them on a week-long hike with 4 or 5 others?
What are the size and weight?
Are you planning to take a set of walkie talkies on a long hike? If so, you’ll probably want them to fit neatly in your pack and no weigh you down.
There are many options for sets to have belt clips or straps that help with easy access.
Those with better durability may be heavier, so look for a balance between weight, size and durability. Just keep in mind how you plan to use them.
Will it be resilient to weather conditions?
Along with ruggedness and durability, if you’re talking them outside then you’ll want your walkie talkies to last. Weather features such as being waterproof or resistant are important.
Also, many hikers will need weather forecast alerts via weather channels. This can help to check if the conditions are right for you to hike through your planned route.
Walkie Talkies | Waterproof Level |
JIS4 | |
IP54 | |
IP67 | |
/ | |
/ | |
/ | |
/ |
If you are interested in waterproof walkie talkies, you can read our article: Best waterproof walkie talkies
Can it be activated by voice?
VOX is a hands-free feature, that allows you to speak over the radio. Instead of using buttons, you get to use your voice to command the unit to do what you need it to.
This can also be a great feature to consider in the case of emergencies. It can also help when speaking to people who may be less able to use their hands to operate machines.
And the winner is…
Based on the criteria we’ve outlined, there is a clear winner from our selection.
The Midland GXT1000VP4 Long Range Walkie Talkie were able to offer the longest range of all that we tested, which was 5 miles.
On top of this, they’re rugged, waterproof and durable, and great for kids and adults. They have the VOX feature, plus an LED flashlight and NOAA weather alerts.
They also deliver well on sound quality and signal, even at 5 miles. This is why, overall, this is our top pick for long-range walkie talkies.